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Cullip Explains Non-League Switch

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Danny Cullip has revealed the reasons he turned down League Two Gillingham for non-league Lewes.

Danny Cullip formerly of Queens Park Rangers was an integral cog in Rangers efforts to remain a Championship side in the 2006/07 season, when John Gregory brought the injury-prone defender in from Nottingham Forest, under a shroud of scepticism but hopefulness.

Following his release from Rangers shortly into the Luigi De Canio reign at Loftus Road, Cullip joined the growing list of former Rangers at Gillingham, before this summer rejecting a contract with the relegated Gills to Blue Square Premier outfit Lewes.

Cullip spoke following his move to the Rooks:

‘It is an up and coming club and hopefully they can establish themselves in the Conference.” he commented to The Argus.

‘I came along a couple of times last year to watch games. I know it will be a hard challenge but I relish those sort of things.”

‘Kevin (Keehan) is bringing through a lot of young players. Some of the players were in the youth team when I was at Albion and they were very good youth team players.”


Cullip joins a highly ambitious Lewes side, who have themselves rang the changes in a bid to not only stay in the Blue Square Premier, but to be challenging for honours:

‘There have been a lot of changes at the club and there is only Barny (Anthony Barness) still left. But with the enthusiasm I have seen at training among the young guys, if you get a few experienced heads among them they can do well.”

‘Kevin is looking to put Lewes on the map in the first season in the Conference. It will be a hard season but with everyone going in the right direction it could be an exciting season.’


In what seemed a baffling move on the surface, Cullip rejected a new deal with Mark Stimson at Gillingham for a move to Lewes, however it you scratch the surface you now find the clubs only a league apart, but it was family connections that sealed the deal for ex-Ranger Danny:

‘I got offered a contract at Gillingham. I could have easily stayed there but I didn’t take it. I spoke to Kevin earlier in the summer and I said at that time I was speaking to League One and League Two clubs.

‘There were a couple of clubs up north and it just didn’t appeal to me to be living in a flat or a hotel for four or five days a week away from my family. I have done that for the last three years.”

‘I want to enjoy my football. I only live ten minutes away and the most important thing is if you are happy you will be happy with your football.”


Danny will feel at home having played 232 appearances for Brighton and Hove Albion following a £50,000 move from Brentford. Starting out at Oxford, the defender made the move to West London with Fulham, before moving to the aforementioned Bees.

He found a home at Brighton before his performances earnt him a move to Sheffield United, then Nottingham Forest. Queens Park Rangers then came calling, and after playing an extremely important role in helping the R`s stay up he found himself surplus to requirements the following season, joining Gillingham, unable to help them to safety he left the club and moves back to the South coast.

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